Street-box and pipe-valve key.



R. MORICH STREET BOX AND PIPE VALVE KEY\ APPLICATION FILED APR. 21.I917.

LMWFWW Patentdlklov. 27,1911

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ROBERT MORIGH, OF KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI.

STREET-BOX AND PIPE-VALVE KEY.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that'I, ROBERT MonIoH, a citizen of the United States,residing at Kansas City, in the county of J aekson and State ofMissouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inStreet-Box and Pipe-Valve Keys; and I do declare the following to be afull, clear, an exact description of the invention, such as will enableothers skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use thesame, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to thefigures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of thisspecification.

My invention relates to street-box and pipe-valve keys and has for itsprincipal object to provide a combination device of this charactercomprising parts that may be collapsed and folded together in order thatthe key may occupy a minimum amount of space and, when not in use, itshandling facilitated.

In accomplishing this object, I have provided improved details ofstructure the pre-' ferred forms of which are illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure I is a perspective view of a key embodying the present-inventionshowlng the parts extended in functional posit on.

Fig. 11 is a side view of the same with the parts collapsed.

Fig. III is a perspective View of the key head showing the position ofthe locking plate when the head parts are folded along the body part.

Fig. IV is a perspective View of the cross head piece.

Referring more in detail to the drawings:

1 designates a key constructed according to the present invention,comprising a tubular handle portion 2, of rectangular cross section, andhaving an open end 3 through which an extension rod 4 is adapted to beextended or telescoped within the handle;

the rod being provided at its exterior end with a wrench head 5 havingan end socket 6 for fitting the actuating stems of pipe valves withwhich the device is intended to be used, and at its inner end has asquared shank 7 which may slide within the tubular handle 2 but fitssnugly enough therein to prevent any rotation of the rod.

Adjacent its ends the walls of the handle 2 are provided with oppositelydisposed apertures 8 and the squared shank 7 of the Specification ofLetters Patent.

Application filed April 21, 1917.

Patented Nov. 261, i216 Serial No. 163,593.

rod 4 has an aperture 9 therethrough that may be brought, by moving therod 4 to either its telescoped or extended position, into registrationwith the handle apertures 8 so that a key pin 10 may be inserted throughthe rod to lock the latter in such extended or telescoped position.

The end of the handle 2, opposite the open end 3, is closed by a plug 12having a threaded shank 13 extending therefrom, and fixed to the end ofthe handle, perpendicularly thereto, is a cross head 14, comprisingparallel, spaced side plates 15-15 lying on opposite sides of the handleand connected at their lower edges by cross straps 16-16, which abutopposite sides of the handle; the said head being fixed to the handle byrivets or pins 17 extended through the side plates 15-15, the handlewalls, and incidentally through the plug 12, thereby anchoring all ofthe parts securely together.

Pivotally mounted adjacent their ends between the plates 15-15' atopposite sides of the handle 2, are arms 18-19, the arm 18 having a head20 at its outer end provided with a wrench socket 21 for fitting theheads of bolts ordinarily used on street box lids, and the arm 19 isprovided with an outer pointed end 22 whereby the lid of a box afterbeing loosened by removing its bolt may be pried from the box.

In order to hold the arms 18-19 in functional position, 1 provide aclamp plate 25, comprising an apertured central portion that may seatover the threaded shank 13 and having end .wing portions 26-26 adaptedto overlie the inner ends of the said arms to clamp the latter againstthe cross straps 16-16; the wings being provided with downturned ends 28that lie along the outer faces of the plates 15-15 to hold the plate inposition on the head. The plate is tightened against the arms by meansof a thumb-nut 29 that is threaded onto the shank 13 to engage thecentral portion of the plate.

When it is desired to fold the arms 18-19 along the handle so that thedevice may be more easily packed or handled, the nut 29 is screwedoutwardly on the shank 13 to loosen the plate so that it may be turnedon the shank to such position that the inner ends of the arms may befree to move upwardly and the outer portions folded against the handle.

Assuming that the device is so constructed and is in collapsedcondition, to use the device to remove the lid from a street box so thataccess may be had to a pipe valve there in, the operator first loosensthe nut 29 on the shank 13, and moves the arms 18-19 to positionperpendicularly to the handle. The clamp plate is then turned on theshank so that its ends overlie the inner ends of the arms and the nut 29is tightened against the plate to hold the latter tightly against thearm ends so that the latter are locked between the said plate and crossstraps l6-16.

The head end of the arm 18 is then applied to the bolt of the box lidand by using the handle 2 as a lever, the arm 18 may be revolved toloosen the bolt.

W hen the bolt has been removed the pointed end of the arm 19 isinserted beneath the lid and the latterpried from the box.

After the box lid has been removed the pin 10 is removed from the handleapertures so that the rod 4 may be extended from the handle to its outerposition and is then looked in this position by inserting the pin 10through the apertures at the outer end of theflhandle and the apertureof the squaredrod shank 7 The rod 4: may then be inserted into the boxso that the head 5 may be applied to the pipe valve stem, and by usingthe arms 18l9 as handles the rod 1- is revolved to open or close thevalve.

By so constructing the device it will be seen that when the device isnotin use, the rod 4: may be telescoped within the handle 2 and the arms1819 folded inwardly so that a compact tool is provided, that may beeasily. handled.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new therein, anddesire to secure by Letters-Patent, is: r

1. In a device of the character described, a handle, a cross-head on thehandle comprising spaced arms, a tool arm pivotally mounted between thespaced cross-head arms, and a clamp for engaging a side face of the toolarm to retain the same perpendicular to the handle or for engaging theend of the tool armto retain the same parallel with the handle.

2. In a device of the character described, I

a handle, a cross-head fixed to the handle comprising laterallyprojecting spaced arms, a tool arm pivotally mounted between theocross-head arms and adapted for extension perpendicularly to or forlying parallel with the handle, and a clamp member adapted for overlyingthe cross-head and tool arm for retaining the tool arm in a determinedposition relative to the handle, a shank projecting from the handlethrough the clamp member, and a nut on theshank for binding the clampmember against t-he'cross-head.

4. In a device of the character described, a handle having a threadedshank projecting from one end thereof, a cross-head fixed to the handlecomprising paired and spaced arms projecting from opposite sides of thehandle, tool arms pivotally mounted between the pairs of spacedcross-head arms, a clamp plate adapted for overlying the pairedcross-head arms, and a nut adapted for cooperation with the threadedshank to bind the clamp plate against the cross-head.

5. In a device of the character described,

a handle having a threaded shank project- 7 ing from one end thereof, across-head comprising paired and spaced arms projecting from oppositesides of the handle, transverse straps fixed to thepaired cross-headarms at the under sides thereof, tool arms pivotally mounted between thepaired crosshead armsand having inner ends adapted for seating on saidcross straps, a clamp plate having a body portion adapted for overlyingthe portions of the tool arms for retaining the same in engagement withthe transverse straps, and a nut on said shank adapted for engaging theclamp plate to retain the same in functional position.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

ROBERT MORICH.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. 0. i

